I’ve been living in New York City for a long time and I admit that I don’t spend a lot of time in Central Park. So when I heard a beautiful bird song the other day, I stopped dead in my tracks. It was a clear sweet sound and then it abruptly changed. A lyrical trilling followed and then a distinct chirping… I couldn’t believe my ears but it sure sounded like a Mockingbird. Further investigation into a bush-like tree along the sidewalk and sure enough it was a Mockingbird; Peter and I saw the long tail and watched the little throat pulsate and the beak move as this lovely bird sang out.
What a great thrill it was and a surprise too! Of course I know there are birds in New York City and those that read this blog steadily know I have posted many photos of birds taken by my friend Murray Head. He has shot photos of all kinds of birds from Egrets to Warblers, from Hawks (probably Pale Male) to Herons and Buntings to Thrushes. BUT those pictures are taken in Central Park where wildlife abounds and this was outside an office!
Anyway, this little ornithological treat got me to thinking about birds in Manhattan and I remembered something very, very interesting.
Several years ago, I was waiting on a corner to cross the street when I heard a bird chirping and it sounded like it was right above me and it was. I looked up and there sat a bird on the crosspiece pipe of a street lamp. As I watched, the bird hopped to the end of the pipe and then disappeared inside the hole at the end. What??? Yes! The bird went into the pipe. I waited and soon the bird reappeared and took off but there were still chirps coming out of the pipe. Amazing I thought. A bird had built a nest inside the pipe where it was really safe from marauders and other dangers. Wow, Mother Nature and the little sparrow’s survival skills were pretty impressive.
I mentioned it to Peter and he told me that he had seen this urban phenomena many times. After that incident, I kept my ears open for the sound of birds on street corners and over and over again I did see birds housing themselves on City property. Bird squatters I guess. These spunky little Sparrows found a home in urban New York City. It’s not that we don’t have lots and lots of tree-lined side streets because we do and I would guess there are bird’s nests in them but I’ve never seen one and we have a LOT of street lights!!
Home Sweet Home
Think about this; not only is the bird really protected from the elements in his little pipe house, there’s usually a trash can on every corner so I’m sure there is fairly endless supply of food crumbs for the picking as well as nest-building materials. Just goes to show you how adaptable living creatures can be to their environment. You do what you gotta do to survive wherever you are and whoever you are…reminds of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse.
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
Pbenjay's Blog 
The Social Network
Posted in From My Point of View - Personal commentary on Movies and Books, tagged Facebook, Harvard, Harvard University, Mark Zuckerberg, Napster, Online Communities, Scrabble, Shawn Fanning, Social network on October 19, 2010| 6 Comments »
Image via Wikipedia
Already touted as the best movie of the year, I really enjoyed seeing this film last week. Best movie? Well that may be a bit of a stretch… I think the most riveting aspect of The Social Network is the portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg by Jessie Eisenberg. He was quite amazing; deadpan face, a voice devoid of emotion, totally lacking in any social graces and barely socialized as a member of the human race – I really wondered if the real Mark Zuckerberg is or was like this. I mean this character is the geekiest of the geeks and the nerdiest of the nerds.
I think those of us who are extroverted and cognizant of society’s mores think those others like being that way; that it’s a choice to be weird and withdrawn. However, we’re wrong – this movie is an insight into the pain of the outcast, the overlooked and the obvious misfit.
There are lots of ways to draw attention to yourself and most people do it purposefully. For example, it was difficult to determine if Mark’s choice of shorts and sandals in the winter were an affectation ( I think not) or was he just so…., SO unaware? Or I can’t even think of the word or words that describe someone who is not just walking to the beat of a different drummer, he is actually in another band all together.
I love Facebook; it has enabled me to reconnect with old friends and neighbors; it has given me some interesting insights into my adult children’s world and I like playing Scrabble too. lol. I think what I find fun and exciting in Facebook is pretty universal…so how did this great social network have its genesis in the twisted and distorted vision of a young alienated college kid? I don’t know and he’s (Mark) not saying! The movie leads us to believe that basically the first incarnation of what later became Facebook was a website rating the hotness of female students in Harvard and surrounding schools.
Mark’s uncanny ability to write program and his roommate’s ability to write checks ultimately produced the web site that has rocked the world! And made Mark a billionaire and put some big bucks in a few other pockets too because this rise to financial stardom came with the price tag of the lost friendship of the only friend he had, attorney’s fees, lawsuits and a bunch of hangers-on who drank and drugged with his money. And while the booze flowed and the entourage grew larger and larger, he seemed oblivious to the fact that he was losing both control and his partner.
But it was all about the pain; the longing to be with a girl who would accept him for he was; a nerd and a geek and a very brilliant one at that. The website wasn’t a way to meet girls but rather a weapon; a means to strike back at all the girls who over the years had ignored him, humiliated him and rejected him.
There was one particular characteristic that I found oddly refreshing in a shocking sort of way. It was the way in which Mark spoke to people; seemingly unconscious that his words might hurt someone, or that his remarks might be inappropriate. He opened his mouth and what came out was exactly what was on his mind, he never minced words. In some instances, it was his own self-aggrandizement and his complete confidence in his own point of view that kept him from tempering his words, often insulting people with his own knowledge.
Interesting insight into Napster creator, Shawn Fanning and the seduction of Mark Zuckerberg by this high-flying wheeler-dealer Californian.
The last word – Facebook is a raving social network success in spite of Mark Zuckerberg, the most un-socialized persona I’ve ever come across.
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